Cheika to be investigated after sideline incident

Super Rugby organizers SANZAR are investigating an incident that took place in the Sharks victory over the Waratahs in Durban on Saturday involving Waratahs coach Michael Cheika and a SuperSport cameraman.

South African Super Rugby broadcasters SANZAR have made a complaint against Cheika as he allegedly had a brief verbal confrontation with a camera man during the clash at Kings Park.

In the second half around the time when Dave Dennis was sin-binned Cheika left the coaches box and went down to the field to talk to defence coach Nathan Grey who was acting as water boy in the game.

A spokesperson from SuperSport confirmed that they had lodged a complaint with a South African official who then conveyed it to SANZAR.

"There was a confrontation with the cameraman, the coach objected to Super Sport filming him and he approached and abused him," the spokesman, Clinton van der Berg told Rugby Heaven.

"A couple of choice words were used. Where Super Sport draws the line is being threatened."

The South African official said that he was called to the broadcaster's van after the match and they told him about the alleged exchange and he took notes of the incident and informed SANZAR along with the match reports and disciplinary matters on Monday.

A spokesman said that SANZAR had received the complaint and that they would be looking into it on Wednesday.

"We have received correspondence, but like all matters of this nature, won't be making further comment until we've had the opportunity to review," the spokesman said.

In the post-match media conference Cheika was asked why he left the coaching box and he responded saying that he wanted to get a message to Dave Dennis who was in the sin bin for 10 minutes.

"The Sharks captain was continually in the ear of the referee. When (referee Mike Fraser) came into the dressing room before the game and spoke to our captain he said 'don't come up and talk to me unless there's a point'," Cheika said on Saturday night.

"So I asked Dave to get involved there and say 'you can't keep talking to the referee all the time, we have to play'. The game was stopping far too much, there was too much talking around those things, which hurt us."

The Waratahs lost the match 32-10 and have moved on to Cape Town where they will face the Stormers.